The Gourmet Next Door

Helen Yurman lives across the road from Manulife Centre with her husband. She’s 69 years old with two kids and two grandkids. And she knows good food.

Since she retired, she’s taken cooking classes in France and Italy. She also mastered the sous vide and hosted more than her fair share of dinner parties.

We sat down with Helen in the concourse-level lounge the other day to talk about why Bloor Street Market’s her go-to grocery store.

MC: I see you have a takeout meal from Bloor Street Market.

HY: Yeah, it’s roasted chicken with seared veggies.

MC: Good choice. Healthy.

HY: Yes. That’s what I love about their take-out section. I was debating between this and the seared salmon, but I wanted something warm. It’s cold out there.

MC: How often do you take out from Bloor Street Market?

HY: Much more so now that I have grandchildren. My son drops them off for the day, and I’d rather play with them than cook. Of course, they always want McDonald’s, but not on my watch.

MC: What do they like?

HY: The older one’s all about the sushi. He loves the ginger and the soy sauce. And he’s getting really good with chopsticks. Better than me for sure.

MC: You’re not into the Asian foods?

HY: Actually, I love Asian food. Aisle 5’s my home away from home (editor’s note: Aisle 5 has sauces and marinades from around the world), but that’s also because the younger one’s all about Thai spicy. We don’t like it, but it’s not about us anymore.

MC: Do you bring the grandkids food shopping?

HY: Are you kidding? That’s the best! We couldn’t really do it before because the carts weren’t big enough for them to sit in. But now that the older one can walk on his own, the “Boor Market” is one of his favourite places.